Interesting news out of Giants camp today, as Alex Pavlovic of the San Jose Mercury Newsreports that baseball’s all-time home run king Barry Bonds is scheduled to work for the team in March as a special instructor for hitters. This will be the first time that the seven-time National League MVP has been connected to the club in any official capacity since his final season in the majors in 2007.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy confirmed that Bonds will be helping out during spring training and isn’t worried about the controversial slugger being a distraction in camp:

“He’s part of what we’ll do here,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “He’s going to be part of the group of instructors, like (Will) Clark, (J.T.) Snow or (Jeff) Kent. He’s going to be like the other guys and help where he can.

“I don’t have any concerns.”

Can you imagine getting the opportunity to pick Bonds’ brain about hitting? Putting aside the issue of PEDs and whatever your feelings might be on that matter, he has a lot of knowledge to offer and the Giants are smart to utilize him in any way they can.

Church exactly who died and made you king of spelling. Are you just hard wired to be a d o u c h e anytime someone misspells a word? Does it make you feel superior to know that you can spell better than some people.

Don’t call someone out for their grammar/spelling and then make almost a dozen mistakes in a few sentences. I misspell/screw up syntax all the time, but I’m not knocking people for their bad spelling. I only point out the hypocrisy in those who do.

Oops wrong post. It’s one thing to have a spelling or grammar mistake, but at least try to type out full words (not u for you), and make some semblance of a sentence. It’s nice reading actual arguments and not 15 year old text messages.

Forget about 1999 through 2004. Barry Bonds teaching younger players the best way of playing the game whether it’s playing the outfield, approaching the plate, and the art of hitting and running the bases is a good thing for the game. He’s got an incredible baseball IQ. He and Ken Griffey were clearly the two best players in the game in the 90’s. IMHO, if the great players of the game in the 90’s were measured in buildings, the majority of the all-stars were the Empire State Building, and Bonds and Griffey were the Twin Towers. We all know that he was a world class A-hole back in the day, but It’s been seven years, and maybe the nearly 50-year-old Bonds has come to realized that he should be giving back to the game by sharing his knowledge with younger players. Besides, he, more than any of us know, he’s got a lot of repairing to do for his image, and this could be the start. Real baseball fans know this guy was a great player who stupidly decided to-alledgedly-juice to get the home run record. He let his emotions rather than his brain determine what his legacy would be.

Should have happened a long time ago.
But with Barry, it’s always complicated.
If he had been working with Belt the last three springs, the Baby Giraffe would be much further along as a hitter and would have struggled a lot less – and he’d already have a Freeman-like contract extension.

I would just tell Barry to work exclusively with Belt for like a week and would love to see the results.
Belt would learn stuff that would help him the rest of his career.

Barry would be a hell of a hitting coach. Just doesn’t want to commit to the travel and a 162-game schedule.

And thus begins the long road back toward respectability. He was always surly, but not the flaming egomaniac that is ARod, he never officially got caught/suspended like ARod, and for sure he never made an embarrassing scene like ARod, so he has a chance for redemption. Good thing he has ARod for comparison purposes.

He is a cheater, and doesn’t deserve to be mentioned with the clean home run hitters in baseball. If I was a member of the Giants team, I wouldn’t want to have any contact with him. He should not be allowed on the field.

Any respect the Giants garnered from me for shunning Bonds once his contract was up is now gone. They should ask the Yankees if A-Roid can make an appearance as a guest instructor while they’re at it. Then the Giants players can learn all about PED use, adultery, womanizing and straight up lying from two of the best to ever swing a bat. Then all they’d need would be Roger Clemens to coach the pitching staff. Stay classy San Francisco.

Barry Bonds. Very petulant, unlikeable, surly, egomaniacal, self-centered, just to use a few adjectives…but man, that dude could rake, PEDs or not. His primary ability to hit was stored between his ears, and the Giants want him to share any knowledge that might give their hitters a better chance in the batter’s box. Unless Bonds actively turns his presence into a distraction, this is a great opportunity for them to learn from one of the best. Just for clarification, I am NOT a Bonds apologist, I do believe he used PEDs and they did help him in some way to squeeze more talent out of his abilities that God gave him.

So, Bonds’ baseball penance is over. The greatest hitter of his era, Bonds can now share his vast knowledge of the game with a new generation of players. The sport is better for it.

At the same time, Bonds will serve as a walking, talking public service announcement warning against PEDs. This was a player so talented that he may have been a first ballot Hall of Famer had he not cheated. And yet, here he is, the man who broke one of sport’s most sacred records now living in infamy. There must be a lesson there somewhere for young players.

still defending the cheats eh craig? you can’t put aside his ped use. he lost all credibility when he started juicing.there is no logical reason you can give for the massive changes in his body and him hitting all those homers in 1 season. you can claim it does not make you hit home runs and you are right but if you already are a great hitter it gives you extra strength which gives you more power allowing you to hit more home runs. and since when did working out make your head swell up 3 tes as much as it was a year ago? save the excuses for delusional giants fans. he cheated and blew his shot at the hall. at least McGuire finally admitted to it unlike this phony.

Just keep Kent away from Barry. Not friends. Glad the Giants are keeping the great players involved with the club. I hope he helps out. He is the greatest left fielder and all around player in the last 30 years. Might have some good insights.

all of you guys commenting about Bonds Hitting are so delusional. Even With his steroid years he is only a .298 career hitter. if you take away his Steroid tainted numbers, 99- thru the end of his career. he is like a 275 hitter at best.Ctony, What are you Smoking the greatest hitter of his Era wtf Wake up.

“He was a Hall of Famer before the steroids so he should go in.” I love that! That’s like – “He used to kill people but he doesn’t anymore so we’re not going to put him in jail.” It’s called consequences people.